logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2010
31m 52s

How Lightsabers Work

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode
Jonathan and Chris discuss the most famous weapon in the "Star Wars" universe -- the lightsaber -- in this episode of TechStuff. 
Up next
Today
Why Building AI At DeepMind Feels Like ‘Surfing’
Live from The Royal Institution of Great Britain, it's TechStuff! Oz sat down with two visionaries at an event hosted by Quilt.AI. First, he spoke with Ali Eslami, a Distinguished Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, who built the prototype for what is now AI Search. Ali talked ... Show More
41m 5s
Apr 27
Two Percent with Michael Easter: Is Social Media Addiction Real?
TechStuff presents Two Percent with Michael Easter, a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. In this episode of the podcast, Taylor Lorenz of the Substack User Mag and host of podcast Power User joins Michael to discuss whether soci ... Show More
26m 31s
Apr 24
The Future Is Inherently Uncertain, But What Could Go Right?
Many contemporary talking heads take a pessimistic view of the future, but our guest today hopes to change this. Oz interviews Zachary Karabell, host of the podcast What Could Go Right? and founder of the Progress Network, about being an ‘edgy optimist’ and what that means for th ... Show More
57m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2010
Topsy Rides the Lighting
<p>What do Edison, Tesla and an unfortunate elephant named Topsy have in common? They were all involved in "The War of Currents," an ongoing battle over the standardization of electricity. Tune in and learn more about Topsy's fate in this episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about you ... Show More
8m 4s
Feb 2021
The Artifact: The Sword of Gōu Jiàn
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses an ancient Chinese sword noted for its unusual sharpness and resistance to tarnish... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
3m 29s
Apr 2020
Invention Playlist: A Motion Picture Mystery
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Here's their sidebar with Scott Benjamin about a mysterious death in the history of motion picture technology... Learn mo ... Show More
54m 51s
May 2021
Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 2
In celebration of May the 4th, this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind ventures into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home world. Join Robert and Joe as they break down six fantastic alien species from the Star Wars universe. Learn more ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 2021
The Artifact: The Bazooka
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the bazooka and whether it is ever OK to bring one on a commercial flight… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
3m 36s
Feb 2021
The Artifact: The Macuahuitl
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the Mesoamerican weapon known as the Macuahuitl... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
4m 17s
Jan 2019
How Can a Star Become a Giant Crystal?
After our sun dies, it and many other stars will eventually crystallize. Learn how astrophysicists figured this out -- and how it works -- in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for pri ... Show More
5m 57s
Sep 2020
The Atomic Scar
The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the ways in which the world would not be the same. Lear ... Show More
59m 26s
Jan 2022
BrainStuff Classics: What Makes Stars Twinkle?
On a clear night, the stars seem to wink and twinkle in the sky. Learn why in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/why-do-stars-twinkle.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystud ... Show More
3m 51s
Dec 2020
Toy Guns
For many of us, toy guns were part of our childhood, but how are we to think about them today? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe look at some of the current thinking on the use of toy weapons in childhood play. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:// ... Show More
56m 38s